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Temporary residency permit

Application for a temporary residency permit is made to the Prefecture of police of your place of residence, preferably within the eight (8) days following arrival in France. The temporary residency permit is valid for one year and renewable. It generally consists of an identity card. There are several types of temporary residency permits, identifying the holder as either “salarié(e)” (employed), “visiteur” (visitor), “profession non-salariée” (self-employed professional), “vie privée et familiale” (family), “scientifique” (scientist), “profession artistique et culturelle” (artist) and “étudiant” (student). When the prefecture authorities do not issue this stay document immediately, they can provide a temporary permit in the form of an “acknowledgement of application for a residency permit” (récépissé de demande de carte de séjour) which is valid for three (3) months. This document must be kept until the temporary residency permit is obtained. A medical exam and blood tests are also required. Application for the temporary residency permit-“employed” cannot be made in France until the following steps have been taken:

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  a potential employer has been found,
  
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  a job commitment in writing has been obtained, and
  
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  authorization from the French Department of Labour and a long stay visa have been received from the French consulate of your place of residence in Canada.
  

It is important to realize that the employer will have to apply to the Department Directorate of Labour, Employment and Professional Formation for permission to hire a foreigner: the employer only can take this initial step. The matter is then dealt with by l’Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration (OFII) which will send its reply to the French consulate nearest the applicant’s place of residence in Canada. The OFII is a public institution responsible for implementing state policy for foreigners entering and working in France. It conducts this procedure working with French consulates and the Department Directorate of Labour, Employment and Professional Formation but does not have the power to issue work permits. If you want more detailed information about all this, contact the:

When you arrive in France with your long stay visa and work permit, you must submit the following documents to the prefecture to obtain your temporary residency permit:

Valid passport and long stay visa; 3 black-and-white passport photos (3.5 cm X 4.5 cm); Proof of financial resources (bank proof or letter from parent or guarantor); Proof of health insurance; Medical certificate issued by a doctor approved by the French consulate; Proof of residence (rental agreement or a gas, electricity or telephone bill); For students: pre-registration or admission letter, proof of a bank account in France, a letter of equivalence from an official body in Canada (French consulate in Canada) and a financial guarantee of a minimum 430€ a month; For workers: employer contract – OFII; A stamped, self-addressed return envelope.

An application for renewal of this permit must be made 2 months prior to its expiry date along with proof of your situation in France (residence, financial resources, payment of taxes, etc.). Should the authorities refuse to renew, you will have to leave France no later than one (1) month from the date of written notification that renewal has been refused. After three (3) years of continuous residence in France, the holder of a “salarié” temporary residency permit may apply to the prefecture for a resident card.